In an exclusive interview with ITV, Gordon discusses external perceptions of him following his move to Barcelona, the growth in his confidence with the England national team, and the regret stemming from England's World Cup semifinal defeat. This is the first part of that interview.

Is this the best you've felt wearing an England shirt?

You mean personally?

Yes.

Definitely.

Why?

I always say, I need a bit of time. That's the type of person I am—I need time to truly adapt. I have to make mistakes and go through periods of poor form before I can perform well. That's always been me.

Who said this: "Everyone naturally doubts themselves. The key is recognizing that there's a war happening in your mind, but it's not real. You're capable of doing anything." Was that Novak Djokovic, or you?

That was me. But it was inspired by Djokovic. That's true. Even people who appear extremely confident have doubts. It's human nature—we can't avoid it. But the best people embrace that mental battle, and ultimately greatly reduce their self-doubt. I have lots of videos saved on my phone, and many quotes from Kobe Bryant and Djokovic, especially about mindset. I think they both think deeply about these things and are most willing to openly discuss what they've experienced. They're willing to humbly share these experiences with the next generation so we can all improve.

There's a video on my phone that always impresses me. In it, Djokovic says: "There's a war happening in my mind. Everyone thinks I'm calm and composed, but inside I'm fighting an invisible war that no one else can see. Only the best can embrace this war, while many other players are consumed by it."

As for Kobe, what strikes me most is probably: "Rest at the end, not in the middle." It means give your best in every moment throughout your career and push yourself to the limit. Now is not the time to rest, and you shouldn't stop later either.

When did you first resonate with these ideas?

Quite young, probably in my late teens. I was loaned to Preston, and that experience was a huge mental challenge for me. I knew exactly where I wanted to go and how far I needed to push, but I needed guidance. I found that guidance in books I read, and especially from other top athletes.

Some might ask: how can you, as a young player aspiring to become a top player, resonate with the experiences of top athletes?

Well, that's a fair question. I believe that to become a top athlete, you have to act like one first. If you have ambition and want to achieve something in life, you must be ready to seize opportunities when they arise.

The outside world always thinks these people are just lucky, that the best players in the world are lucky, and that the best people in any field are simply lucky. But it has nothing to do with luck. They do need some things to go their way, but you must understand: they are completely prepared for that moment. It's precisely because they're so prepared that it looks like luck to you. It's not. The harder I work, the luckier I get.

Right. If it were easy, everyone would...

Everyone would do it. Jude said that to me once, and I always remember it: "If it were really easy, everyone would already be doing it."

What got you to where you are now—talent or belief?

Definitely belief. I think at this level, our talent is actually quite similar. If you come to training on any given day, anyone could be the best player on the pitch. I believe this will surprise many people, because they assume the same player will perform best every day, but that's not how it works. We all have extraordinary talent, but only those who are most competitive and mentally driven can sustain success over a long period.

So what do you think is your real edge? Why have you made it this far?

That's a difficult question to answer. I think about it often because people always ask, "What's the key to your success?" or "If you could name just one reason, why are you so good?"

But there's never just one reason—there are many unseen factors. Every day I sacrifice my life for football, I sacrifice time maintaining relationships and spending time with family, using that time instead to recover my body. Every decision I make is to become the best footballer I can be. I think very few people are willing to make these sacrifices.

What do you fear most—failure or regret?

Always regret. I don't believe in "failure." We all want to become the best version of ourselves or achieve the best possible result. But why do we feel entitled to that? No one ever said, "You're destined to be great."

That's only what we tell ourselves. So I don't see things as failures. Whatever happens, you do your best to deal with it. But regret stays with you for a very, very long time. Regret means you didn't do something the way you truly wanted to. That ultimately leaves you feeling uneasy inside, and that feeling might never go away.

So you're saying you have to be brave enough to take risks in life?

Always be brave and take risks. Step outside your comfort zone. If you want to achieve great things, you have to take risks. As far as I know, no one has ever achieved anything special in life by playing it safe.

You've known me for a long time. Most of my personality is about being brave, taking risks, and pursuing what I want. What others think or say doesn't matter.

However, young players just starting out always face pressure from their peers and from those older and more experienced. They might say, "Don't do that, know your place."

Yes.

Have you ever faced that?

Of course. Especially before I joined Newcastle United, when I was still in the academy at my previous club, I experienced it often. But I never backed down because of it, and I didn't really care what others thought. A team is one unit, but each of us is also an individual. The team moves forward, and players come and go. If you want to truly succeed as a player, you need to maintain your own ideas within the team.

Yes. This might contradict some ideas in football, especially perhaps ideas from the older generation. Would I be right in saying that? They would think the team should come first, and you shouldn't stand out too much.

Yes. But that's not how it works. Everyone says team comes first, but if you want to be the player who helps the team most, you must do everything you can to be the best version of yourself. If you don't have your own ideas, you can't serve the team with your best abilities, and ultimately, the team will suffer.

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